Requirements

McBride students need to complete 21 credit hours of Honors courses to earn an Honors Minor in Public Affairs, which will be noted on the final transcript.

Typically, students earn the required credits by taking one Honors course each semester (usually on Wednesday evenings, 6-9pm) beginning in the fall of the sophomore year and continuing through spring of the senior year. In addition, students must complete the 3-credit Practicum requirement before the spring semester of the senior year.

Humanities and Social Sciences Core Curriculum:McBride Honors courses fulfill all the requirements of the Humanities and Social Sciences Core, with two exceptions, as shown below:

LAIS 100 Nature and Human Values: prerequisite for McBride courses

EBGN 201 Principles of Economics: required for McBride students

LAIS 200 Human Systems: waived for McBride students

All other Humanities and Social Sciences requirements: waived by McBride courses.

If a student is admitted to McBride, but has not yet taken NHV, the student may be able to take NHV concurrently with the first McBride seminar.Doing so will require the approval of the program director.EBGN201 is not a prerequisite for McBride, but the course must be completed prior to graduation to fulfill CSM requirements.

Transfer Students and Study Abroad:

Transfer students or students studying abroad may be able to fulfill some of the requirements by substituting for courses taken abroad or at other institutions. Any such substitution must be approved by the program director in advance, and students should meet with the director early to discuss their options.

McBride Honors Curriculum:Honors Core courses (6 credits):All incoming students in the McBride Honors Program need to complete the following courses during their first year in the program:

HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America
Honors core course that develops student skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, and oral communication skills through the exploration of selected topics related to the social, cultural, and political ideas and events that have shaped the development of the modern United States and its role in the world. Prerequisite: Admission to the Program and LAIS100: Nature & Human Values.

HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World
Honors core course that develops student writing skills and critical thinking abilites through the exploration of selected topics related to the social, cultural, and political ideas and developments that have shaped the modern world. Prerequisite: Admission to the Program and LAIS100: Nature & Human Values.

Honors Practicum Requirement (3 credits):The McBride Practicum requirement is an experiential learning program that is explained in detail on the Practicum page of the McBride website. To receive credit for the Practicum, all McBride students need to complete the following course before the Spring semester of the senior year:

HNRS 405: Practicum: Individualized Study
With approval of the Program, a McBride student may enroll in an individualized study project which substitutes for or enhances the regularly-scheduled McBride curriculum seminars. This option may be used to pursue an approved foreign study program, service learning program, international internship, undergraduate research project, or other authorized experiential learning program of study. Students must also prepare a faculty-guided major research paper that integrates the experience with the goals, objectives, and focus of the Honors Program in Public Affairs. 1-3 semester hours. Repeatable for credit. Students may also fulfill this requirement by completing HNRS476: Community Engagement Through Service Learning or HNRS499: Independent Study.

Honors Electives (12 credits):After completing the core sequence (usually during the sophomore year), students have the option of choosing from a few Honors electives (usually during the junior and senior year). Two or three such electives will be offered each semester. Students will need to complete four of these electives to receive the Honors Minor in Public Affairs.

Each elective will follow a specific theme that provides an in-depth look at a specific problem relating to the overarching topic of the course. Prior to registration for each semester, the course theme and description will be announced by email and on the course page of the McBride website. Students may take a given course twice if and only the course theme is different. Honors electives include the following:

HNRS 425: Explorations in Politics, Policy, and Leadership
Study of selected topics related to policy, politics, and/or leadership through case studies, readings, research, and writing. Prerequisites: HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America and HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World. Repeatable for credit up to a maximum of 6 hours.

HNRS 430: Explorations in Ideas, Ethics, and Religion
Study of selected topics related to ideas, ethics, and/or religion through case studies, readings, research, and writing. Prerequisites: HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America and HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World. Repeatable for credit up to a maximum of 6 hours.

HNRS 435: Explorations in Culture, Society, and Creative Arts
Study of selected topics related to culture, society, and/or the creative arts through case studies, readings, research, and writing. Prerequisites: HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America and HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World. Repeatable for credit up to a maximum of 6 hours.

HNRS 440: Explorations in International Studies & Global Affairs
Study of selected topics related to international studies and/or global affairs through case studies, readings, research, and writing. Prerequisites: HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America and HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World. Repeatable for credit up to a maximum of 6 hours.

HNRS 445: Explorations in Science, Technology, and Society
Study of selected topics related to the relationships between science, technology, and society through case studies, readings, research, and writing. Prerequisites: HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America and HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World. Repeatable for credit up to a maximum of 6 hours.

HNRS 450: Explorations in Earth, Energy, and EnvironmentStudy of selected topics related to earth, energy, and/or the environment through case studies, readings, research, and writing. This course may focus on the human dimensions or broader impacts of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Prerequisites: HNRS 305: Explorations in Modern America and HNRS 315: Explorations in the Modern World. Repeatable for credit up to a maximum of 6 hours.

HNRS 476: Community Engagement Through Service Learning
Combines a traditional classroom environment with an off campus learning experience with a local non-profit or community organization. Students spend 3-4 hours per week serving the organization they choose and meet in class once per week to discuss readings, present research findings, and share experiences and insights about the course material. May be used as an HNRS 400-level elective or to fulfill the Honors Practicum Requirement.

HNRS499: Independent Study
Students complete an independent study project under the supervision of a faculty member. The course may be used to complete the McBride Practicum requirement or to fulfill an HNRS 400 level elective.